Departments & Programs

Environmental and Sustainability Studies

Major in Environmental and Sustainability Studies
Purpose

The B.A. Major in Environmental and Sustainability Studies is an interdisciplinary, liberal‐arts degree designed to provide an introduction to the complex system‐scale challenges of sustainability as well as the tools needed to address problems that transcend solely social or environmental domains. Students pursuing this degree can expect to integrate experience in the humanities with the natural and social sciences.  The major offers the opportunity to develop skills in communication and creative expression, data collection and analysis, environmental science, and economics. Although this is designed as a stand‐alone major, students are encouraged to pursue this degree program as a second major opportunity. Pursuing two majors enables students a combination of depth in a core discipline and breadth across the range of topics that are inherent in environmental and sustainability studies. Potential career areas include environmental planning and coordination, environmental education and communications, sustainability coordination or consulting in the private or public sector, green design, environmental law or public affairs, or further academic pursuits with graduate study.

Required Course Work

Students must complete at least 30 credit hours, 18 of which must be at the 300-400 level, to include:

  1. One Introductory Sustainability course (3 cr.) chosen from List A.
  2. One Human–Environment Systems course (3 cr.) chosen from List B.
  3. One Communication and Creative Expression course (3 cr.) from List C.
  4. One Data Collection and Analysis course (3 cr.) chosen from List D.
  5. One Environmental Science course (3 cr.) chosen from List E.
  6. One Economics course (3 cr.) chosen from List F.
  7. Four courses from one of the following concentration areas (12 cr.) selected as specified therein.

Note: One course that is required for the major (with the exception of the Introductory Sustainability course) may count toward two degree requirements.

Students must also satisfy all requirements for a B.A. degree in the College of Arts and Sciences.